My partner does fine needlework while sat in the living room. She needs good light and a decent magnifier to make it less difficult.

She has previously tried a number of desk lamps, all of which end up shining into my peripheral vision, which is mildly irritating. She has previously used a magnifier which hangs round the neck and sits up on little legs (as seen on the shelf), this keeps moving to the wrong position and is annoying.

So, I suggested she use one of my hobby lamps, but there was no where to attach it.

The occasional tables are glass topped and don’t really have the right edge profile for the clamp to be successful.

So, a quick root round the barn found an offcut of B&Q’s finest pine shelf panel and a couple of lengths of wood which fit precisely behind the radiator. I drilled some pocket holes into the legs and screwed them into shelf.

The whole affair drops in behind the radiator, the clamp which supports the lamp screws onto the shelf and a bit of blue electrical tape prevents the light from spilling out in my direction.

I really like this make – I think it is more in the spirit of Makevember than many of my others. It was really quick, made with scrap offcuts. It took a few minutes to construct and has had an immediate positive effect.

So.. what did I learn from this… Well, as I’ve said before, just get out and do it. It would have been easy to overcomplicate this, but a quick solution is all that is necessary. When the radiator has dried out the wood it might need to be tightened up. A quick wipe over with osmo would keep the pint top from marking and make it more easily cleaned. However, it is done, it is in use and it is fulfilling it’s function.